O Song of Glinishmore

Episode 17

Xel Arro,

I’ve escaped at last and am returning to the rendez-vous point. I ran into the group as you said I would, but the Bugbear was not with them. I had not expected to spend three months in the town, but I suppose gaining their trust was worth it, if momentarily. They do not fully understand the Seven, but they are driven by a curiosity that could become problematic.

They’re also an exceedingly quarrelsome lot, always fighting and intruding. That, if anything, might be their undoing, though their time has not yet come. After a devil of a street skirmish, we went to a fabricant Keeper who took us to what I assume was the true state of the town. It was a shambling mess with another vector at its center, masquerading as an alchemist. The group engaged him, naturally, and defeated him, but afterward, they burned the ruddy town to the ground.

As we stepped outside of the gates, we encountered a most peculiar satyr who bore the vestiges of a fox. He must have communicated something to them to which I was not privy, because at the next moment, one of them grabbed me, so I took my leave.

I recommend that the Sons continue to survey, from a distance. I do not know what they will do with their karnavaga now that it is formed, but it will find its way to the others as the prophesy fortells.

Episodes 11-16

Last time on O Song of Glinishmore!
Will our heroes make their way out of the town of Vaal? Will the purple dome be the group’s undoing? Will Soraya receive a Rakaro burial? Some of these questions and more answered today on Negligent DM!

Ep. 11
As the tentacle rounded the corner of the catacombs below Vaal, Bishûk was grabbed in an orgy of hentai allusions and down, down, down he went into the murky depths of the cistern. As the party rounded the corner in hot pursuit of that slippery devil, they saw a bevy of tendrils before them. Like a mad man with nothing left to lose, El’Dhis dove into the cistern with a tightly executed tuck and flip and SPLASH! Meanwhile, bored with his companions’ mortal peril, Mals sulked away into the darkness to go play with a heavily rusted water pump. After some to do, The gang of heroes drained the cistern slew the beast and found Bishûk’s pack, but no Bishûk (bum bum buuuuum). Cruentis found a door in the wall of the cistern and went-a-wandering and looted the fuck out of some antiquities.

Ep. 12
Next, the gang made their way down the winding paths and came upon Glissa, a human lady, who was positively glowing. [Enter: tunnel rats] At long last, the gang made their way out of the catacombs and into the fresh night air of the ruins of Old Vaal. But lo! Goblins wandered in the night as the gang rested their weary heads. An epic fight ensued whereby all the gods of war and valor were called upon and at last, the goblins and their orc leader were slain.

Ep. 13
But tragedy! Other goblins were busy during the skirmish and managed to hang and burn the priests of a nearby Temple of Sune. Holy shit! With all the disappointment of the day, the gang thought it best to wander to the half-retarded goliath stable boy and get some sweet wolves. The gang rescued a priest but the great gods of neglect took him into that dark night of obscurity. Also, some prophesy was revealed by those silly goblins and Glissa knows something about it too. The gang proceeded to the stables and got their wolves before making their way down the road. On the way, they run into some gallant knights. Needless to say, the knights end up dead and their horses run off down a path and into the woods. The gang pursues, but find only horse corpses and eventually the gates to a town on the strange path.

Ep. 14-16
Knock, Knock. Who’s there? CONFUSION! The town proves to be somewhat of a mind fuck. The gang lingers, not by choice, and as they commence egress and ingress, the town changes around them. Along the way, they encounter two interesting characters: The observer and Aesyr. Also, amidst the frustration, Cruentis collects a duck and Glissa gets herself a weird bouncing magical owl. As the town turns to anger, the gang find themselves reunited after some time traveling antics. And so here our recap ends in the top floor of the courier, with fighting outside.

Episode 7

The party considers the scene before them from the safety of the balcony above the sanctuary: twelve corpses—six in a spiral of stretched entrails and blood; three laid down, one bloodied and flayed, beheaded with a heart in each hand, one with blood stained white robe pulled up above the chest with dismembered hands laid on bare breasts and daggers in her sex, one with skin flayed off completely but for the face, handless with a head on each side of his, facing in; three upright, one holding sword in front of his face as if to challenge an unseen foe, one with hand on pommel as if to sheathe it, and one on bended knee, head bowed and sword upright, its tip on the ground.

Few of the party approach, sensing no reaction from the upright three. Cruentis attacks Soraya’s floating body and the three engage. As the party fights, Soraya’s body begins to blacken in veins radiating from her neck and pregnant belly. As the blackness continues to spread, it cracks and crumbles like burnt wood and as it consumes her, it falls away onto the ground, including her belly, forming a pile on the ground. Revealed is a comely form of dark gray skin covered in glowing red runes. In the ensuing fight, this being is revealed to be formidable if anything can be said. She touches Bishûk on the head and overcomes his control of himself. For a brief moment, Bishûk sees his companions as enemies and another thing—a vast network of hazy alchemic circles and line with Soraya’s among them.

The party continues to attack, dealing massive damage, but the being does not falter. In a stroke of cleverness, Mals speaks the name “Reynard” into his fish bracer and whistling in the distance ensues. The party then begins to pull three of the corpses out of their circles, which snuff parts of the glow of the sigil in part and in turn. The being lays three of the party low before Possum Naderry arrives, marshaling his host of ducks. The party bloodies the being but after, Possum unleashes his fury on it. As the being lays on the ground, its skin seems to run leaving the broken body of Soraya as it slinks off to the shadows like a crawling puddle. All of the injuries that the party dealt to the being now show on Soraya: her skin burned from lightning and fire, two heavy blows, splitting her from shoulder to below the breast and splitting from neck to ribs. For Possum’s part, she is split completely around the navel, entrails cleaved and spilling onto the ground.

As the party recovers from the fight, they hear bells ringing from the tower above. They seek out the sound and from the high vantage they can see a strange gathering in the square and guards of the north gate pressing back a group before a closed portcullis. They climb down and move to the square where they find 25 of the former inhabitants of the Academy in ranks and files. The party engages and the Academics fall easily, losing life and then dismembering, skin sloughing from the bones. Bishûk is bitten by one, but the wound is afterward healed by Oya. Once the fight is over, the party finds itself alone in the square, the sound of distant turmoil echoing in the night.

Loot: Large obsidian shard, stone similar to “Arkanite”, which glows white at its core.

Episode 6

The party begins by being attacked by some sort of shade in the wood before fighting the Captain of the Corsairs and dispensing with a ferryman. The captain entreats them to a few bits of information before being struck down by a fine-crafted arrow from the woods across the river. Hereafter is the collected recollection of the Captain:

The Captain picked up the three from a trading outpost called Farsis south of Glinishmore. The instruction was to take them to Vaalath, something about their crimes, but they were to be guests of the Captain. They were guests for a week they drank and carried on, had ‘fun’ with some of their crew mates then they made port and they killed all but three of the twelve man crew. At this point, they were tied up, and the next day, they all had glowing marks on their backs. This captain is part of a fleet of former Glinishmorean prisoners and exiles; it was formed two months ago after the siege and fall of Glinishmore. The rumor is that the King is dead. He had been searching for the true status of the stones, believing them to be Arkanite, as had the Alchemist gnome of the Academy, but for whatever reason had dismissed this theory. He only knows that they were being held by a Corsair Brigadier (a rank higher than captain) before the captain stole them from him. He also knows that the three minerals he is tasked with transporting are called Naxine (the stones being transported by the ferryman), Aramyne and Velsar.

The party makes their way out of the camp, El’dhis glad-handing the dwarf sentry at the entrance. They then head south down the North Road and encounter Possum Naderry, a queer fox-satyr with a brood of ducks fishing in a pond of inky metallic liquid where the clearing used to be. He speaks to them in rhyme and riddle and illuminates the purpose of many of their items, albeit obtusely. He then gives them a series of word puzzles as the cost for shepherding them across the pond, all of which involving ducks and eggs. After they are across, he bids them farewell and disappears into the pond with a dive.

The party trudges onward toward town and once inside the walls, make their way to the tavern to return the tavern owner’s daughter and claim their reward. They do so and are offered gold, wine and rum, and women as their prize, as well as the owner’s gratitude. Amidst the revelry, they here screaming and panic from the north and when they take to the streets, they find a throng of Academics running from the Academy and various states of maim. The party proceeds cautiously inward and in the sanctuary of the Academy finds a gruesome display of ritualized carnage with Soraya at its center, floating and seemingly with child.

Loot: Cruentis: the Captain’s coat; Bishûk: a large brass Key with goblin markings on it; Mals: a golden bracer in the shape of a fish.

Episode 5

The Party begins in the Armory, admiring how dashing they all look in the full length mirrors that surround the space. Creuntus and Albidum stay to talk with the Town Master while Oya goes shopping and Bishûk, El’Dhis, and Mals head to the brothel to find Salomar.

Creuntus and Albidum:
The Town Master tells them that the Corsairs run trade in Vaal. The reason for his wanting the Captain dead is unclear by his telling, but he says that the Captain’s death in the particular method prescribed will kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. The significance of the symbol to be carved into the Captain’s palms is also unknown. The Town Master instructs them to go to the brothel and ask for two girls, Ilythia and Varija, and says that their fee has been taken care of by the Magister of Vaalath.

Bishûk, El’Dhis, and Mals:
The brothel, a place of satin and lace where, for the right price, the pleasures of the world unfold. The Madame welcomes them into the brothel, but runs out of patience when it becomes clear that they are not there to spend money. The gang muscles into the brothel and begins a door to door peep show review of the rooms. In one of the rooms, they find Salomar having a do with Ilythia and another girl. In the hall, the gang reunites and collect their wager winnings (300 gp with pilfered extras). This group then moves into town to find Oya who has gone shopping and has promise a date to the shopkeep on the next night. on the way, the group encounters a man being ushered into town on a stretcher who speaks of Glinishmore’s fall and a great dome that has grown over it, which consumes flesh that it touches.

The party, united, moves out of town, traveling up the north road and running into drunks along the way. They encounter a large black creature in a clearing that seems out of phase with their environment, but spews a metallic black liquid onto the ground. They carefully try to interact with the liquid, El’dhis and Cruentis holding their stones above it, which seems to liquify the stones and harden them as spheres. Cruentis loses a bit of his stone to the black liquid.

The party then continues north to the camp and infiltrates, finding a ledger which puts their transfer to the Corsairs at one month before.

Episode 4

The party began by trying to find Kalas. They flirtatiously meander through the town square, placing additional bets with Salomar and questioning the ladies and gents of Vaal. They discover that Kalas is likely at Issa’s father’s home. Mals scales the alley walls outside of the home with the aptitude of a spider monkey and enters. Meanwhile, in the alley, the party breaks into the cellar and accosts an old man [who had lost his son in a smelting accident the night before]. Mals talks to Issa and Kalas, to which Kalas responds “Honor before pussy! I’ve gotta go duel!”
At the duel, Aris prances around like the prince of tarts, slicing apples and walnuts with his sword for a heart-healthy salad to be consumed post-duel. Issa’s father [heretofore only known as the Collector] marches in huffily. Kalas’ second runs off and is replaced by Bishûk. The party hatches a terrorist scheme and a sneak stabbing. KABOOM! Several innocents die in a horrific display of the explosive potential of one pound of black powder whilst Mals stabs Aris in the leg with a torture juice dagger.
Aris collapses in agony while Bishûk and friends put out the candle that is Issa’s father [still living most likely]. The party then engages with three Corsair bros, dispensing them without to do. A bevy of Vaal Guard then file into the square, ceasing the tumult. At the head of the blockade of men and steel trods in a sort of butler, short, but not of height. He leads the party to the town hall where they meet the town master. He tells them that he would like the Captain of the Corsairs disposed of discretely but with a symbol carved into his palms. The party is then led to the armory where they loot up.

Episode 3

The party begins on the beach talking with the five youths. The youths talk about an upcoming duel in the city behind them. A dragonborn named Syrx takes the lead in explaining the romantic tale behind the duel between Kalas and Aris over the hand of Issa, a beautiful girl from Vaal. They explain that Issa’s father is Aris’ second and Barthos, a cowardly man, is Kalas’. The youths talk about the city and explain it as a rest port for sailors along the coast. They also seem to think that the party are corsairs.
The party is attacked by a giant sea serpent who kills one of the youths and bites Soraya, poisoning her. The party gets 20 gp and 50 sp off of the corpse of the youth. The party collects poison from the serpent’s teeth. Syrx leads the party into the city and brings to Creuntus, El’Dhis, and Soraya to the Academy and sends Bishûk and Oya to the Oakthorne Inn.
Creuntus leaves Soraya with a Doctor Kyran to treat her wounds and is told that she should be mended in a day. Albidum, a recent apprentice of Kyran travels back to the Inn with Creuntus, El’Dhis, and Syrx. Bishûk and Oya meet an Innkeeper who offers a room for 5 gp but is later reveled to be Mals, a rogue in disguise. Mals takes another 5 gp from Creuntus and El’Dhis. The party RESTS and awakes without incident.
The next day Syrx takes the part around to various locales in the City. The party goes to the academy where they identify their black powder as flammable and receive some recipes to convert the powder into explosives. They also take five chemicals: iridescent metal filings, a glowing green liquid, two liquids Irium and Tolum, which when combined create a poison gas and Toluic Acid which combines with Irium to create a torture agent.
Albidum identifies the eggs as belonging to a lizard-bird, which needs to be buried in carrion to hatch and the book as being written in High Valaathan but in some sort of cipher. The party also learns that their strange stones are likely called Arcanite and possess a dark and powerful alchemic power. The party is then taken to a tower where they see a Glinishmorean Ship moored beside the Corsair ship and a vast jungle to the north of the city.
The party then makes its way to a tavern to learn more about the duel. While walking through the town square, El’Dhis, Creutus and Mals make bets in Kalas’ favor for the duel. They encounter two professors who learn about the Arcanite and crush one of the stones. They are also pressed by the owner of the bar to rescue his daughter from the corsairs. In the hour before the duel, the party gets non-Corsair clothing and bags at a shop for 3 gp.

Episode 2

The party began on the deck of the ship having just dispatched two elven sentries. From here, they view a vast sea on one side of the ship and a wall, jungle, and two campfires on the other side. They move about the top decks clearing rooms as they go and starting first with the galley. After exiting the galley they see a small dinghy approaching with two men on board. The party attempts to go unnoticed, but are spotted and a fight commences. The men dump a bag overboard, which is later found to be Ki-Amar.
After the fight, the party moves to the Captain’s Quarter in the aft of the ship. There, they hear banging on an interior door but explore the Captain’s ready room. They find a several maps there, but most are destroyed by Ki-Amar. The party then moves into the Captain’s Bedroom to investigate the source of the banging. They find Snoop and an unconscious Oya on the Captain’s bed. After awaking Oya they search the room. Bishûk alerts the group to a small light on the horizon.
The party then moves to the deck and sets off on three dinghies for the nearby shore. They are bumped by something in the water, but are not attacked. The party ends with a group of five youths on the beach who offer the group a drink and some company.

Episode 1

Three adventurers El’Dhis, Bishûk, and Creuntis Ris were lead to their own execution. As El’Dhis was laid down on the block, the Diplomatic Guard of a foreign nation executed the nearby Royal Glinishmorean Guard. The adventurers watched as a red-robed figure walked past them, crouched and everything went black.
The party awoke bound and wearing strange clothing in a ship’s hold next to a slave girl who identified herself as Soraya from Ixia. She told them that the ship was transporting slaves, both women and eunuchs, as well as cargo. She had been on the ship for a week at least. She had witnessed her father arguing with a man and then was taken. She awoke on the ship with a brand on her pubis and said that she has not felt right since.
The party moved through the ship, collecting some items and freeing a group of slaves before making their way to the deck.

Loot: Large nails, two long daggers, a decorative sword, three large eggs, a whip, wool, rope, high proof rum.

Kills: A Chimera that was left in a crate, a slave overseer, two elven sentries on deck.